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Finland

Customer orientation from the viewpoint of the learner

Background: Although considerable work has been done in Finland on futures thinking, education is something of an exception where broad national scenarios have failed to find a correspondence in education. Perceived future challenges include demographic, social and cultural changes, efforts to increase the employment rate, as well as globalisation in all walks of life. In education, the emphasis will be on economic thinking and efficiency, on the one hand, and customer orientation from the viewpoint of both the learner and working life on the other.

Objectives: The project will help bring together several key development strategies of the Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE), and it aims to:

Produce background and research data to support the development of education as well as increase related visionary and innovative capacity;

Apply foresight methods in the development of education;

Develop and strengthen futures education at and among different levels of the education system

Target: Primary and secondary education and training, including adult learning

Timeframe: 2005 - 2008

Who runs it: FNBE with the help of a two project coordinators and a project team

How does it work: The FNBE project team works closely with key stakeholders, projects and networks operating at three inter-linked levels: national, regional and institutional. There is co-operation with national and international interest groups such as NGOs, the media and relevant international partners. After a launch seminar in June 2006, the project moves into national scenario development and reaches out to the provincial and municipality levels.

Evaluation: Continuous evaluation is based on a set of indicators such as: number of participating persons, institutions; educational innovations obtained; usability of scenarios.